WALSH 

The  duties  rcliqioos 
persons  In  ^n>c  nr  wer 


JXI954 

WZZ 


; THE  DUTIES  OF  RELIGIOUS  PERSONS 
IN  TIME  OF  WAR* 

By  Re;v.  Wai,te;r  Wai,sh,  D.D. 

The  Son  of  man  is  not  come  to  destroy  men’s  lives,  but  to  save 
them. — LukS  ix.  56. 

The  power  of  love,  as  the  basis  of  a state,  has  never  been  tried. — 
Emerson's  Essay  on  Politics. 

This  is  the  first  duty  of  religious  persons  in  time  of 
; war, — to  remain  ^ true  to  man’s  mission  as  a savior,  not 
a destroyer.  This  redemptive  principle  in  human  nature 
has,  in  our  time,  been  strongly  assailed  from  two  sides— 
^ from  pseudo-science  on  the  one  hand,  and  a false  philoso- 
"I  phy  on  the  other.  The  destructive  agency  of  war  has 
been  expounded  in  every  civilized  country  as  a “biological 
necessity.”  The  evolutionary  principle  has  been  pro- 
claimed as  a competitive  instead  of  a co-operative  prin- 
ciple. The  scientific  theories  of  the  struggle  for  existence 
and  the  survival  of  the  fittest  through  natural  selection 
have  been  applied  to  things  not  contemplated  by  Charles 
Darwin  and  Alfred  Russel  Wallace,  and  it  has  been  argued 
that  man  must  continue  to  go  on  in  the  ancient  prehuman 
destructive  way.  This  is  to  ignore  the  very  principles 
1 of  science  itself  as  well  as  of  religion,  for  the  significance 
of  the  ascent  of  man  is  precisely  that  he  is  able  to  substi- 
I tute  social  and  international  co-operation  for  the  anti- 
J human  internecine  system  of  combat.  With  man  has 
arrived  the  age  of  reason,  and  of  the  sovereignty  of  will 
over  instinct,  and  love  over  egoism.  While  destruction 
was  the  characteristic  of  the  ancient  animal  type,  salva- 
tion is  the  characteristic  of  the  new  human  type.  Those 

* Preached  at  the  Theistic  Church,  London,  Sept.  20,  1914. 


who  conform  to  type  shall  survive,  while  those  who  refuse 
to  conform  shall  perish.  Those  who  persist  in  living 
according  to  the  old  egoistic,  selfish,  destructive  instincts 
of  the  lower  orders  of  creation  shall  perish;  while  such  as 
accept  and  live  according  to  the  new  vision  of  love  and 
neighborliness  and  mutual  aid  shall  sur\dve.  That  is 
the  truth  that  is  being  written  in  blood  on  the  plains  of 
Europe  to-day.  It  is  excellent  biology.  It  is  equally 
pure  religion.  To  that  religion  all  who  believe  in  God  and 
in  the  divinity  of  man  must  cling  in  the  teeth  of  all  con- 
tradiction. 

The  religion  of  salvation  is,  I said,  assailed  also  in  the 
name  of  philosophy — and  that  in  more  civilized  countries 
than  one.  The  doctrine  that  might  is  right,  that  the  earth 
with  its  treasures  of  life,  land,  gold,  love,  women,  is  noth- 
ing but  booty  for  the  bold,  has  been  preached  by  the 
philosophers  of  more  than  one  nation.  They  have  re- 
turned to  the  worship  of  power  in  the  person  of  the  super- 
man, the  egoist,  in  other  words,  the  tyrant,  represented 
by  such  names  as  Nero,  Genghis  Khan,  Napoleon,  while 
lesser  persons  are  to  be  admired  in  proportion  as  they 
embody  the  fruits  of  ambition,  success,  physical  health 
and  beauty,  to  the  enslaving  and  slaying  of  such  as  have 
not  the  ability  or  the  will  to  dispute  their  passage.  To 
be  a “full-blooded  Dionysus”  is  the  goal  of  the  perfected 
ego.  Peasants  and  children  may  continue  (proceeds 
this  philosophy)  to  admire  suffering  saviors  like  Sakya 
Muni,  who  surrendered  a beautiful  wife,  a palace,  and  a 
kingdom,  in  order  to  deliver  mankind  from  evil;  or  Jesus, 
who  permitted  himself  to  be  nailed  to  the  cross  for  the 
sake  of  his  people;  or  Socrates,  who  drank  the  hemlock 
that  Athens  might  know  the  truth;  but  such  specimens 
of  weakness  are  scorned  by  the  devotees  of  the  Overman, 
whom  they  imagine  to  have  the  right  merely  because  he 
has  the  might,  who  is  without  fear  or  pity  or  remorse,  and 
who  is  free  to  impose  his  will  equally  by  club  or  sword  or 
gallows.  The  revolt  against  the  gospel  of  salvation — 
against  the  mission  of  man  to  be  a savior — has  been  in 
full  blood  in  Europe  and  America,  while  a gospel  literally 


z 


of  damnatioti  has  ■ been  substituted  which  on  the  battle- 
plains  of  Europe  is  being  proved  a desolating  delusion. 
The  aim  of  religion  is  to  foster  love,  unselfishness  and 
co-operation,  neighborliness  and  mutual  aid;  while  to 
keep  this  aim  ever  before  our  own  minds,  and  to  keep  it 
ever  before  the  people,  is  the  first  great  duty  of  religious 
persons  in  war  time. 

The  second  duty  flows  necessarily  from  the  first — the 
duty  of  exalting  moral  forces  over  physical  violence.  In 
times  like  these  tremendous  pressure  is  brought  to  bear 
upon  our  faith  in  moral  forces,  perhaps  by  our  friends 
even  more  than  by  those  who  are  opposed  to  us.  The 
temptation  to  interpret  religious  duty  in  terms  of  destruc- 
tion rather  than  salvation  is  enormously  strong.  True 
religion  will  resist  and  overcome  that  temptation.  True 
religion  will  ever  put  thought  above  strife.  Religion  will 
resist  the  effort  of  the  world  to  drag  it  down  to  its  lower 
ethical  plane,  and  will  rather  strive  to  lift  the  world  up 
to  its  own  divine  height.  The  world  never  ceases  its 
effort  to  secure  religion  for  its  ally,  to  bring  religion  over 
to  its  side,  to  get  religion  to  condone  its  actions  and 
methods;  but  religion  must  strive  with  all  its  divine 
energy  to  impress  its  ideals  upon  the  world.  While  the 
world  strives  to  get  religion  to  fight,  religion  must  more 
successfully  strive  to  get  the  world  to  love.  The  world 
and  its  way  may  be  illustrated  by  the  words  of  a native 
chief  who  had  heard  Dr.  Moffatt  preach  on  the  resurrec- 
tion of  the  dead:  “Father,”  said  he,  “I  love  you  much; 
your  visit  has  made  my  heart  white  as  milk;  the  words 
of  your  mouth  are  sweet  like  honey.  But  I do  not  wish 
to  hear  about  the  dead  rising  again.  The  dead  cannot 
rise!  The  dead  shall  not  rise!  I have  slain  thousands, 
and — shall  they  rise?”  The  chief’s  voice  is  the  voice  of 
mankind  resisting  the  Spirit:  “Religion”  (protest  the 
nations)  “cannot  condemn  war.  Religion  shall  not  con- 
demn war!  We  have  slain  our  millions — and  shall  war 
be  irreligious?”  As  against  all  such  protestations, 
religion  must  remain  firm  to  its  divine  call.  Religion 
must  exalt  character  over  conquest,  piety  above  policy, 


3 


martyrdom  over  killing.  The  way  of  war  is  to  take  away 
the  sinners,  the  way  of  religion  is  to  take  away  the  sin, 
of  the  world.  Amid  the  extremest  necessities  of  war- 
time the  religious  person  must  never  permit  himself  to  be 
so  transformed  into  the  citizen  or  the  warrior  as  to  be 
forgetful  of  that. 

These  considerations  apply  with  pecuhar  force  to  the 
pulpit  as  the  voice  of  religion.  It  is  peculiarly  incumbent 
on  the  preacher  to  resist  the  pressure  of  such  times,  and 
to  remain  faithful  to  the  divine  principles  of  religion.  The 
powers  which  make  for  destruction  are  sufficiently  strong 
without  his  endorsement  and  alliance.  As  God’s  spokes- 
man, it  is  his  place  to  keep  alive  the  great  facts  and  truths 
of  salvation  both  human  and  divine,  both  on  this  sphere 
and  in  spheres  beyond.  No  truly  religious  citizen  will 
seek  to  drag  the  preacher  from  his  great  vocation  as  the 
exponent  and  upholder  of  moral  forces  and  spiritual 
principles.  It  is  at  a nation’s  peril  that  it  degrades  its 
pulpit  into  an  advocate  and  apologist  for  war.  The 
pulpit  should  provide  an  anchor  amid  the  storm;  it 
should  be  the  still  small  voice  of  God  above  the  earth- 
quake and  the  thunder.  It  should  never  cease  to  protest 
against  a double  standard  of  morality,  one  for  individuals 
and  another  for  nations;  never  cease  to  insist  upon  the 
same  law  of  God  in  personal  and  national  affairs.  It 
should,  in  season  and  out  of  season,  magnify  the  value  of 
reason  over  force,  of  love  over  violence;  and  plead  for 
the  arbitrament  of  reason  in  place  of  the  arbitrament  of 
the  sword;  plead  for  the  substitution  of  justice  and  inter- 
national law.  Were  this  course  followed  by  all  the  pul- 
pits of  the  civihzed  world,  there  would  never  be  another 
war. 

The  third  duty  of  religious  persons  is  to  search  their  own 
hearts,  and  to  assist  the  nation  to  a searching  of  conscience, 
with  a view  to  discovering  those  moral  causes  which  pre- 
cede and  give  rise  to  every  war  whatever.  Something 
more  than  poHtical  entanglements  has  turned  Europe 
into  an  Aceldama.  The  ultimate  cause  is  in  the  hearts 
of  the  belligerent  nations.  No  doubt  there  are  immediate 


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and  direct  causes  connected  with  political  exigencies  and 
military  necessities,  but  while  conflict  rages  no  mind  is 
capable  of  setting  them  forth  with  just  analysis.  A state 
of  war  grievously  warps  the  judgment,  so  that  nothing 
less  than  Omniscience  can  determine  the  various  degrees 
of  error  and  affix  proportional  responsibilities  upon  those 
who  bring  about  such  international  cataclysms  as  that  in 
which  we  are  to-day  participants.  But  the  spirit  of 
religion  is  a spirit  of  justice.  There  are  questions  the 
spirit  of  justice  cannot  help  asking  under  the  influence  of 
true  religion.  For  many  years  statesmen  have  been 
warning  Europe  that  the  continuous  and  increasing  arma- 
ments with  which  she  was  loading  herself  were  bound  to 
become  intolerable,  and  were  likely  to  bring  about  the 
very  cataclysm  they  were  designed  to  avert.  In  two  great 
international  conferences,  held  contemporaneously  with 
the  growth  of  the  “armed  peace,”  they  provided  the 
means  of  pacific  adjustments  through  the  machinery  of 
the  Hague  Conventions.  It  is  evident,  therefore,  that, 
if  Europe  had  organised  for  peace  as  wholeheartedly  as 
she  has  organized  for  war,  she  would  to-day  be  saving 
instead  of  taking  life,  building  homes  instead  of  burning 
them.  In  one  way  or  another  all  the  contending  nations 
participated  in  the  mutual  suspicion,  selfishness,  and 
jealousy  which  created  the  “armed  peace”  and  brought 
about  this  unspeakable  calamity,  and  therefore  suffer- 
ing has  come  upon  them  all,  in  greater  or  lesser  degree. 
Therefore,  when  we  have  searched  the  national  conscience, 
it  is  our  duty  to  bravely  confess  to  the  Father  of  men  our 
own  share  in  these  sins  against  humanity. 

The  fourth  duty  of  religious  persons  is  to  encourage  in 
themselves  and  in  their  fellow  countrymen,  as  far  as  their 
influence  extends,  the  spirit  of  charity  so  divinely  chanted 
in  our  first  lesson.  Our  religion  should  keep  us  calm  and 
sane,  and  faithful  to  its  immutable  ideals.  Our  faith 
commits  its  professors  to  behef  in  “the  Fatherhood  of  God 
to  all  mankind,  irrespective  of  race,  creed,  or  moral 
difference,”  and  enjoins  upon  them  “the  paramount  duty 
of  brotherly  love.”  These  religious  and  ethical  principles 


5 


preclude  harsh  judgments  and  thoughts  of  revenge.  The 
doctrine  of  “reprisal”  is  ahen  to  rehgion.  To  the  true 
behever  in  God,  no  man,  no  nation,  can  be  “the  enemy,” 
but  each  is  a brother,  a sister,  even  when  they  seem  to  be 
erring  and  provocative  and  shameful.  Oiu*  divine  religion 
recognizes  no  racial  differences  among  the  common 
children  of  him  who  “hath  made  of  one  blood  all  nations 
of  men,  for  to  dwell  on  all  the  face  of  the  earth.”  There- 
fore the  cause  of  human  unity  and  peace  is  bound  up  with 
the  progress  of  true  religion.  We  can  be  the  friends  of 
all  other  countries  without  being  the  enemy  of  our  own, 
and  therefore  our  efforts  to  succor  those  in  distress, 
particularly  non-combatants,  should  not  exclude  those 
with  whom  we  are  at  war. 

Further,  oiu*  religious  principles  forbid  us  to  participate 
in  that  mockery  of  prayer  which  obtains  more  or  less 
among  all  the  Christian  nations  at  the  present  time. 
Theistic  rehgion  teaches  that  there  is  only  one  God,  and 
that  God  is  one.  What,  then,  mean  those  vain  petitions 
which  ah  the  Christian  nations  ar.e  offering  against  one 
another,  at  the  same  moment,  to  the  same  Deity?  It  is 
obvious  that  petitions  offered  by  warring  worshipers 
for  results  which  are  totally  contraictory  to  one  another 
cannot  influence  the  judgments  and  decrees  of  Omnipo- 
tence. Many  of  the  prayers  which  are  being  offered  in 
the  capitals  and  cathedrals  of  Europe  at  the  present  time 
are  nothing  but  profane  appeals  to  the  old  tribal  deity 
who  ought  to  have  yielded  place  to  the  one  God  and  Father 
of  all.  Therefore  om:  prayers  should  be  directed  toward 
those  ends  which  include  the  blessings  of  mercy,  peace, 
prosperity,  and  justice  to  all  the  contending  peoples, 
“irrespective  of  race,  creed,  or  moral  difference.”  We 
dare  not  impiously  dictate  to  Deity  in  what  manner  or 
proportion  he  should  distribute  those  blessings;  but  we 
should  trust  him  to  render  to  every  man  and  nation  ac- 
cording to  the  deeds  done  and  the  policy  pursued,  in  full 
assurance  that  each  shall  receive  the  exact  reward  or 
pimishment  necessitated  by  Eternal  Righteousness.  The 
principles  of  rehgion  require  us  to  follow  the  path  of 


6 


virtue  “uninfluenced  by  fear  of  punishment  or  hope  of 
reward.”  We  do  not  believe  that  prayers  can  constrain 
or  deflect  the  justice  of  God.  We  make  no  mean  attempts 
to  degrade  the  Eternal  into  a tribal  deity,  and  to  enlist 
the  Universal  Father  as  a partisan.  We  believe  that  the 
judge  of  all  the  earth  will  do — bright. 

The  fifth  duty  of  religious  persons  is  to  foster  such  a 
spirit  and  create  such  conditions  as  will  render  such  an 
international  sin  impossible  for  all  time  coming.  As  no 
man  can  foresee  the  end  of  Europe’s  folly,  so  none  can  fore- 
tell in  what  shape  society  will  emerge  from  the  gulf;  but 
we  can  adopt  the  memorable  words  of  Abraham  Lincoln, 
and  strive  “to  do  all  which  may  achieve  and  cherish  a 
just  and  lasting  peace.”  As  believers  in  the  one  God — 
the  sole  Father  of  all  the  warring  peoples  alike^ — ^it  is 
possible  for  us  to  render  effective  help  toward  building 
up  the  future  commonwealth  of  Europe.  We  can  help 
to  organize  the  world  for  peace  as  it  has  hitherto  been 
organized  for  war.  With  Emerson,  we  can  deem  it  not 
impossible  to  make  love  the  basis  of  the  state,  instead  of 
violence.  We  can  strive  to  substitute  the  co-operative 
sisterhood  of  the  nations  for  the  competitive  militarism 
which  has  brought  them  to  ruin.  We  can  promote  the 
federation  of  Europe  on  lines  aheady  roughly  drawn  by 
the  Hague  Conferences.  As  we  mournfully  survey  the 
slaughtered  heaps,  the  devastated  fields  and  homes,  the 
million  crowds  of  desolated  women  and  children,  and  as 
we  further  reflect  upon  the  long  impoverishment  of  the 
peoples,  the  far  postponement  of  the  reformers’  hopes,  we 
can  fold  our  hands  in  solemn  vow  to  the  All-Father,  that 
the  expectation  of  his  poor  shall  not  perish  forever. 

It  is  our  duty  to  hope  and  pray  and  strive  for  the  re- 
moval of  the  conditions  which  make  war  possible.  If  we 
recall  Chorley’s  great  hymn  to  be  sung,  in  war  time,  it  is 
with  a difference,  for  we  look  forward  to  the  passing 
not  of  this  war  only,  but  of  all  war.  Om*  prayer  is  grander 
than  “Give  to  us  peace  in  our  time,  O Lord!”  Our 
vision  is  wider  than  omr  own  race  and  om  own  generation. 
We  pray  that  God  may  give  peace  to  all  men  through  all 


7 


time,  and  we  believe  the  supreme  opportunity  has  come 
to  co-operate  with  God  in  the  answering  of  our  own 
prayers.  Therefore  “with  strong  crying  and  tears”  we 
unitedly  direct  our  hearts  to 

God,  the  All-terrible!  King  who  ordainest 

Thunder  thy  clarion  and  lightning  thy  sword; 

Show  forth  thy  pity  on  high  where  thou  reignest, 

Give  to  men  peace  through  all  time,  O Lord! 

God,  the  Omnipotent!  Mighty  Avenger! 

Watching  invisible,  judging  unheard; 

Save  us  in  mercy,  oh,  save  us  from  danger, 

Give  to  men  peace  through  all  time,  O Lord ! 

God,  the  All-merciful!  earth  hath  forsaken 
Meekness  and  mercy;  hath  slighted  thy  word; 

Bid  not  thy  wrath  in  its  terror  awaken. 

Give  to  men  pardon  and  peace,  O Lord ! 

God,  the  All-righteous  One!  man  hath  defied  thee. 

Yet  to  eternity  standeth  thy  word. 

Falsehood  and  wrong  shall  not  tarry  beside  thee! 

Give  to  men  peace  through  all  time,  O Lord! 

God,  the  All-pitiful!  is  it  not  crying — 

Blood  of  the  guiltless,  like  water  outpoured? 

Look  on  the  anguish,  the  sorrow,  the  sighing. 

Give  to  men  peace  through  all  time,  O Lord ! 

So  will  thy  people,  with  thankful  devotion. 

Praise  him  who  saved  them  from  peril  and  sword ; 

Shouting  in  chorus  from  ocean  to  ocean. 

Peace  to  the  nations,  and  praise  to  the  Lord! 


The  Church  Peace  Union 
70  Tilth  Avenue,  New  York 


PHOTOMOUNT 

PAMPHLET  BINDER 

PAT.  NO. 
877188 

Manufactured  hy 
AYLORD  BROS.  Inc. 
Syracuse,  N.  Y. 
Stockton.  Calif. 


JX1954  .W22 

The  duties  of  religious  persons  in  time 
Princeton  Theological  Seminary-Speer  Library 


1 1012  00066  9046 


